HB Artist Series: Hoff-Barthelson’s Faculty in Performance

Members of Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Faculty take the stage to kick-off the 2023-2024 HB Artist Faculty Performance Series on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 7:30 pm in the School’s Joan Behrens Bergman Auditorium, 25 School Lane, Scarsdale, New York. The concert will feature works by Johannes Brahms, Ottorino Respighi, Franz Schubert, Anna Amalia and Carl Vine performed by some of the School’s distinguished faculty members.

The program includes Brahms’ Zwei Gesänge Op. 91, a set of two songs for mezzo-soprano, viola, and piano. The songs are based on poems by Friedrich Rückert and Emanuel Geibel, and express the themes of love, longing, and nature. The performers are Andrea Saposnik, mezzo-soprano; Andrew Gonzalez, viola; and guest artist Lauren Ninoshvili, piano.

Saposnik will also perform Respighi’s Il Tramonto, a lyrical and dramatic setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poem tells the story of a young woman who dies of grief after losing her lover. The singer is accompanied by a string quartet composed of April Johnson and Laura Giannini, violins; Andrew Gonzalez, viola; and Peter Seidenberg, cello.

Schubert’s Piano Trio in B flat Major No 1, Op. 99, is one of his most popular and beloved works. The trio is full of melodic richness, harmonic variety, and emotional depth. The performers are April Johnson, violin; Peter Seidenberg, cello; and Tomoko Uchino, piano.

Also on the program is a rare gem: the Sonata in F Major by Anna Amalia, Princess of Prussia. Anna Amalia was a sister of Frederick the Great and a patroness of music and arts. She composed several works for flute and keyboard, including this charming sonata that showcases her elegant style and musical taste. The performers are Donna Elaine, flute; and Tomoko Uchino, piano.

Elaine and Uchino will also perform contemporary composer Carl Vine’s Sonata for Flute and Piano. Vine is an Australian composer who is known for his eclectic and expressive music. The sonata is a virtuosic and vibrant work that explores the timbral and rhythmic possibilities of the flute and piano.

Tickets are $20 general admission and free of charge to HBMS students. Tickets may be purchased in advance via Eventbrite, by visiting the School’s website (www.hbms.org), by calling 914-723-1169, or e-mailing hb@hbms.org.

For Additional Information: 914-723-1169, hb@hbms.org, www.hbms.org.

About the HB Artist Faculty Concert Series
Hoff-Barthelson faculty comprises some of the nation’s most distinguished performers and educators. Many hold chairs in prominent New York orchestras, are members of world-class chamber ensembles, perform in major Broadway productions and are in international demand as solo artists. Others teach at leading conservatories including The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes College of Music. The School’s superb faculty has contributed to the Music School’s national recognition for unsurpassed leadership in music education, performance and community service. Hoff-Barthelson prides itself on providing access to these outstanding artist-educators in the heart of Westchester. Held in Scarsdale, these concerts guarantee riveting music making of the highest caliber, in an intimate setting, at prices far below those in New York’s major concert halls.

Additional concerts in the series will be held on October 27, November 17, 2023, and February 9, March 1, and April 19, 2024.

Pictured: Andrea Saposnik, mezzo-soprano